Showbits

I'm generally not a fan of the Farrelly Brothers. I thought both Kingpin and Me, Myself, and Irene were incredibly crass. (I'm no prude; I just prefer my humor with a bit more intelligence. Even Dude, Where's My Car? has a certain charm to it.) I've never even seen Fever Pitch, except for the parts I'm in. But I put these reservations aside when The Ringer was recommended to me, and I was pleasantly surprised when it didn't suck.

Johnny Knoxville stars in this comedy about a loser who pretends to be mentally challenged in order to enter the Special Olympics, expecting it to be a sure gambling win with which to resolve his financial debts. I was hesitant to learn if Knoxville (who I've never seen before) or the tactless Farrellys could handle this topic with aplomb. Tom Griffin tastefully featured mentally challenged adults in his stage play by getting the audience of The Boys Next Door to laugh with, not at, four challenged men, endearing them to the audience and making it all the more tragic and empathetic when their visible struggles resulted in less comical consequences. Could the Farrellys do this, and do it well?

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